Zion Uness will share his story of walking from Ethiopia to Israel and his experiences as an Ethiopian Jew with students tonight in his presentation, Ethiopia to Israel: The Return Home.
It is a story they have never even heard before and it is something not only American students and faculty have not heard before
but it is something a lot of Israelis have not heard before said Julia Dose, president of Bobcats for Israel. The migration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel was a really significant event that has caused a lot of social stress for that group.
Uness' presentation, which is taking place at 7:30 in Baker University Center Ballroom B, is being sponsored by Bobcats for Israel, Hillel at Ohio University and the Multicultural Center, amongst others. Dose said it cost about $300 to bring Uness to OU.
Each story is unique even though we had someone come last year. Each story is different Dose, a senior studying visual communications, said.
Following the success of Kasa Bayisin's visit to campus last year, Winsome Chunnu, associate director of the Multicultural Center, said that Dose approached her this year about bringing Uness to campus.
I worked with them last year to bring another Ethiopian-Jew speaker here.... It was very successful
and the turnout was great. It was really eye-opening for a lot of our students here
Chunnu said.
Chunnu also said that his story and what it represents will be compelling to students.
I think (students) will learn a lot because there are many people who are both Jewish and black
and many people think you can't be both black and Jewish
Chunnu said.
We hope students come and get that education about what that means and how people live their lives. And also to learn about his (Uness') story of walking from Ethiopia to Sudan and then to Israel
which in itself is an interesting story
she added.
Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, executive director for Hillel at Ohio University, said that she thinks Uness' story will help give students a new perspective on the complexity of life in Israel.
It's a story that isn't often told and reflecting on other people's struggles can often inform our own journeys
Leshaw said. Students who have an awareness of the complexity of life in Israel will deepen their knowledge about different communities that exist there.
@ThePostCulture
